Cornerstone Alliance has officially launched its 2025 Strategic Action Plan, intended to help expand economic opportunity throughout Berrien County and make its vision known.
The Cornerstone Board of Directors approved the document March 18 to help reflect the priorities of new organization President Marla Schneider. She tells us among the four main priorities is economic development, which often starts with speaking to existing employers.
“We’ll be meeting with existing primary employers to see if we can connect them with resources, help them with business expansion, things things of that nature,” Schneider said. “Also within economic development is business attraction.”
Schneider says Cornerstone Alliance has a major attraction effort now underway targeting specific industries like manufacturing and aerospace. Data centers also remain a goal. Another priority in the plan is housing development, something she says Cornerstone has been asked to take a lead on.
“Our goal here is to do a market analysis for the entire county. We know that it’s not a one size fits all for every community. So, what new Buffalo wants and needs is different from what Niles would want and needs within their community. So that market analysis will do a deep dive into each community.”
Once that study is finished, Cornerstone will hire a staff member specifically to work with communities and developers to make new housing happen. Schneider says another priority laid out in the Strategic Action Plan is community development.
“Working with communities to make sure that they are ready for development, that they have the correct tools in place to incentivize development in their community, and then also that they’re capturing tax revenue appropriately to continue a healthy and vibrant community,” Schneider said.
Last, but not least, is site and asset development.
“We look at industrial land, making sure that the proper infrastructure is there, the environmental has been done. We know what needs to be done to make that piece of property attractive to development.”
A speck site Cornerstone Alliance developed at 2274 Yore Avenue in Benton Township falls under that category.
Schneider says the new plan is intended to be a roadmap for the year, laying a good foundation for Cornerstone to prove itself in the community. You can find it below.
cornerstone-alliance-2025-strategic-action-plan
